Publisher's Synopsis
The U.N. played a central role in the Afghanistan Accords under which the Soviet occupying Army withdrew; the U.N. was a forum used to fashion the cease fire in the Iran-Iraq war: and the U.N. is the implementing force for the Namibian agreement. In 1988, it received the Nobel Peace Prize for its peacekeeping forces. Through its specialized agencies, the U.N. plays a major role in the nuclear non-proliferation regime, coordinates worldwide research on AIDS, battles illicit drugs, provides massive refugee assistance and many other specific programs. At the same time that it realizes its promise in these areas, the U.N. is a seriously flawed institution, an arena of mischef. The U.N. is a battlefield wherein the PLO and radical Arab states seek to delegitimize Israel. It is rampant with waste and mismanagement. During Reagan's first term, Ambassador Williamson served as the United States permanent representative to the U.N. offices in Vienna, Austria, and he finished Reagan's second term as Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs in charge of America's U.N. policy. In the articles and speeches collected here, Ambassador Williamson shows how the United States has challenged the organization and its member states to live up to the promise and ideals of the U.N. Charter, and how the U.S. battled this mischief within the U.N. This book presents a realistic analysis of the U.N.'s promise and its disappointments. Co-published with the Hudson Institute.
